DISCLAIMER: With this post, I am not choosing a 'side' on this whole situation, I am simply expressing my opinion. Don't think that I'm a child-molestation advocate who has completely peeved that people are being fired over this scandal, I'm not. These are my opinions, as it says at the top of this page.
I don't support anything in this case. I can't imagine having to deal with the emotional abuse that those children are having to deal with because of Jerry Sandusky's selfish and unspeakable actions.
I also don't know that I support the amount of blame that has been placed on Joe Paterno.
A head coaches job is to keep his house in order, and that includes coaches, players, managers, medical staff, etc, and do whatever necessary to win football games and putting the finishing touches on MEN (not football players).
I've heard Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy talk about it a million times. One of the biggest hurdles in recruiting is gaining the recruit's parents trust, as they basically give their son away for four years.
Nowhere in that job-description does it say the coach should enforce any rules. He only makes them.
Obviously, it shouldn't have to be written that no coaches should participate in child molestation or anything that could be thought of in that way.
But since it came up (A graduate assistant came to Paterno and told him about what he saw) Paterno reported it to the higher-ups in the athletic department (The Athletic Director and the university President.)
As seen here, the department 'handled' the situation.
Why is it Paterno's job to go to the police or mention it in a press conference? Don't you think just as much damage would've come if Paterno made a false accusation claiming that Sandusky was a child-molester?
If that had happened, and Sandusky was innocent, the man would never be able to work anywhere again, much less coach.
This is really a simple matter. There are no winners here, the main losers are the higher-ups in the Penn State department.
But Paterno is less of a loser than they are.
Take a step back, and I hope you read the article posted above for this. The janitor saw Sandusky doing (insert details here) in the shower with a boy, and IMMEDIATELY reported it to his manager.
Should he lose his job? Absolutely not, he did what he was supposed to do.
Paterno heard second-hand from a 20-something year old graduate assistant that he saw something in the showers A WEEK LATER, and Paterno IMMEDIATELY reported it to his boss, who should've handled it accordingly but didn't.
If Paterno should be fired, so should the janitor.
But I guarantee the janitor wasn't fired, I'd be willing to place money on it.
The truth of the matter is that Penn State is doing what it has to do to move forward and get this into the deepest, darkest corner of the school's past as fast as it can, and I don't disagree with the firing for that matter alone.
But at the same time, I think the only reason Paterno's firing should be taking place is for that reason alone, and not because he didn't defy his university's president and athletic director's orders and try to do their job.
It's not his responsibility. The man acted as he should have, and unfortunately the people above him let him down, and now he has become the scapegoat because of it.
Unfortunate situation.
My last thought is something that most people won't be able to comprehend because this is a very passionate and emotional subject, and I fully expect the responses of "IT WASN'T CANDY, THESE WERE KIDS!" to flood my comments section, but if you can remove yourself from that thought-process then hear me out.
Every day after you attend school at Bedford Junior High, you walk over to 7Eleven on Brown Trail and Harwood road.
Your friend comes up and says "I saw that kid over there (We'll call him Jeremy) stealing candy before he left the store last week, but I don't want to tell the manager because I don't want to get in trouble for not telling him sooner."
So you go tell the manager.
Yes or no, is it your job to come back the next day and the next day and the next day to make sure that Jeremy got in trouble for what he did?
How can you compare child molestation and rape to stealing candy from 7eleven? I pray that you are kidding, take a step back and really think hard before you write.
ReplyDeleteAfter you think it through, delete this post and start over. Sure, there are a lot of others at fault as well, but JoePa had the chance to end it, child molestation, right then and there.
Knowing you a little I'll point you to some wisdom, Luke 10:30-37. Remember, its 'what I have done, AND what I have left undone'
^ Comment number one.
ReplyDeleteIf you had read the part before, you'd understand I was "Dumbing down" the situation (For lack of a better term) and simplistically showing the roles involved.
If the head nurse that has been on staff at the hospital for 30 years goes against the Surgeon's commands during an open-heart surgery, what happens?
Most likely, it doesn't turn out well, and most likely, he doesn't keep his job. It was a no-win situation for Paterno due to the administrators not handling their business. He handled his.
Stop trying to create parallel situations, they're both garbage and poorly constructed. There is nothing similar to this, simplifying it is an injustice.
ReplyDelete'He handled his' is an absolutely cowardly response. The administration does deserve a ton of blame and so does the coward GA.
For being considered a 'humanitarian' and a man of character he failed when tested. That may be worse, proving that all you stand for and preach ends up being a sham.
That's your opinion, which you are entitled to and I partially agree with. I am also entitled to mine, and you read it.
ReplyDeleteGo read the disclaimer at the top and the heading at the top of my blog. You can expect my 100% opinion on this page, it isn't doctored or edited (referring to your 'delete it and start over' comment). This is my place to express my opinions, one less page view isn't going to hurt my feelings.
And as for the situations I've presented, they're simplified and accurate. The fact that children were unfortunately damaged has people wearing blinders and extremely defensive, I'm evaluating the legal side of it.
That answered many of my questions, thank you!
ReplyDelete